First, We cannot help our selves by striving with God. Christ argues the folly of inordinate cares from this ground (Math: 6.27.) Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? It is not mans care, but the presence and blessing of God which increaseth both the stature of man and his estate. Cares may break our sleep, yea break our hearts, but they cannot fill our purses, nor heighten our persons, either in a natural or in a civill notion. Is it not then a foolish thing to take inordinate care? is it not greater folly to strive with God? Seeing as by caring you cannot get any of the good things of the world, so by striving with God, you cannot get off any of those evils which he layeth upon you. Secondly, Is it not a very foolish thing to strive with God, seeing we are so far from helping our selves out of trouble by it, that we do but increase our trouble, and the more entangle our selves by it? What do we by struggling but straiten the bonds of our affliction, and get weariness, ⟨p. 253⟩in stead of expected ease? till we are quiet with God, how can we hope that he should send us quietness? Thirdly, It is a foolish thing to strive with God, because by striving with him in reference to any misery that is upon us, we hinder our selves from taking comfort in any remaining mercy. Though God takes away many mercies, yet while life remaineth there is somewhat of mercy remaining. When Job was stripped to his skin, yet he had somewhat left, which was a ground of his blessing God. The greatest losers have somewhat left, they escape at least (as Job said he did at worst, Chap: 19.20.) with the skin of their teeth. But while we strive with God about the mercies we have lost, we loose the comfort of all the mercies we still enjoy. And is it not extreme folly to deprive our selves of what we have by complaining about what we have not? Why dost thou strive? Thus much from the emphasis of the former part of the verse, as 'tis put into a chiding or reproving question, Why dost thou strive against him? From the latter branch.
First, We cannot helpe our selves by striving with God. Christ argues the folly of inordinate cares from this ground (Math: 6.27.) Which of you by taking thought can adde one cubit unto his stature? It is not mans care, but the presence and blessing of God which encreaseth both the stature of man and his estate. Cares may breake our sleepe, yea breake our hearts, but they cannot fill our purses, nor heighten our persons, either in a naturall or in a civill notion. Is it not then a foolish thing to take inordinate care? is it not greater folly to strive with God? Seeing as by caring you cannot get any of the good things of the world, so by striving with God, you cannot get off any of those evills which he layeth upon you. Secondly, Is it not a very foolish thing to strive with God, seeing we are so farre from helping our selves out of trouble by it, that we doe but increase our trouble, and the more entangle our selves by it? What doe we by strugling but straiten the bonds of our affliction, and get wearinesse, ⟨p. 253⟩in stead of expected ease? till we are quiet with God, how can we hope that he should send us quietness? Thirdly, It is a foolish thing to strive with God, because by striving with him in reference to any misery that is upon us, we hinder our selves from taking comfort in any remaining mercy. Though God takes away many mercies, yet while life remaineth there is somewhat of mercy remaining. When Job was stripped to his skin, yet he had somewhat left, which was a ground of his blessing God. The greatest loosers have somewhat left, they escape at least (as Job sayd he did at worst, Chap: 19.20.) with the skin of their teeth. But while we strive with God about the mercies we have lost, we loose the comfort of all the mercies we still enjoy. And is it not extreame folly to deprive our selves of what we have by complaining about what we have not? Why dost thou strive? Thus much from the emphasis of the former part of the verse, as 'tis put into a chideing or reproving question, Why dost thou strive against him? From the latter branch.
